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totalnewbie posted:I am going to Port Douglas for a week. I have a mask but nothing else. Should I bother buying fins and snorkel? I am not a diver (nor snorkeler - I live in Michigan) so I planned to just rent while I'm down there. Hope it's not too late to help you out. I just got back from a diving holiday diving from Cairns (an hour's drive north of PD). Diving in that area is basically either taking day trips or going on a live-aboard. The difference is that a day trip can't go out as far as the best spots on the outer reef while a live-aboard obviously can. Either are very good mind you, but a live-aboard is the way to go if you've got the cash. I went on a Mike Ball tour and it was the one of the best holidays I've ever had. They give you as much of the equipment as you need, take you to great spots, and give you thorough dive briefings and as far as I know, they even provide dive instruction if you want it. Either way, you'll have fun, it's a really great part of the world to visit.
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Feb 13, 2013 09:09
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That swamp training looks pretty tough. What the vis like in there? Is there anything at all to see or is it just about doing the job?
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Feb 16, 2013 06:50
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pupdive posted:WOW! Those are amazing pictures, and I for one would like to see any more you have! Great photos! What did you use to take them? An SLR with a housing? My wife and I took heaps of shots with a small pocket cam in a housing diving the GBR but they all came out with a bluish-green tinge. She spent hours on iPhoto cleaning them up. Edit: sorry, replied to Pupdive, but meant for Trivia (or anyone else who knows underwater photography  )
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Feb 16, 2013 07:13
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That's obviously unrealistic. You should add that you dropped your weights first.
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Feb 22, 2013 08:50
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Hip Hoptimus Prime posted:Edited to add: I would definitely pick up a BCD first. I was renting or borrowing them for awhile and it got old really quick because every time I was diving it was a different, unfamiliar BCD. Part of good dive safety is being familiar with your equipment. Now that I have my own, I have tools how I want them on it, I know how to release the weight pockets if I need to, and I know where all the straps and buckles are. It's helpful and gives me a more secure feeling. I'm curious, what's your reasoning for preferring your own tank before a regulator? I'm a new diver, and I've always been told BCD then regs.
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Feb 23, 2013 21:48
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I definitely agree with the prioritisation of mask fins wetsuit. Having my own 7mm wetsuit has definitely made me feel far more comfortable. I guess I should consider the next step, computer or BCD. Having my own BCD is attractive in that I will be able to pimp it and not have to add/remove all the stuff every time (safety sausage, whistle, torch), while having dived the GBR with the same dive computer I got on the liveaboard definitely added to my awareness of my dive timings, depths, etc. Thanks for the tips!
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Feb 24, 2013 01:05
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Crunkjuice posted:I don't mean any disrespect personally to you, but don't ever loving give this advice to anyone. Its wrong, and its dangerous. Plain and simple. I know how easy diving is, and if you just stick with a divemaster very shallow you probably won't get hurt. I also know very well firsthand how easy it is for someone to freak out, or something minor to go wrong, and for a simple dive to turn into a rescue. Hear hear. Dive training isn't so much about what to do when everything is fine, but more about what to do when it isn't.
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Feb 26, 2013 03:50
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pupdive posted:Counter to the others, I do reccomend this path If it's an intro dive, then fine, he's got an instructor with him the whole time and not going deeper than 10m. But that would imply doing intro dives the whole trip. Wouldn't it be safer and more enjoyable to just do an OW?
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Feb 27, 2013 06:16
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Loving Africa Chaps posted:I've heard the amount of fishing on the reefs exploded with the revolution and tons of previously pristine reefs are now covered in fishing line. Good reason to head further south. My wife and I dived in Eilat about a month ago. It was surprisingly good. Huge variety, almost as much as the GBR, and very easy beach entries (we usually dive in Sydney where the beach entries are a pain). According to the locals they got rid of fish farms and the whole beach strip was declared a reserve. If you're in the area, I'd definitely recommend it.
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May 17, 2013 02:50
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Haha, there's more to come, a wet suit for example. But every additional piece of equipment you buy is one less you need to rent so while there can be a big investment up front it pays off over the long term. Not to mention it's so much better diving with your own gear.
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May 21, 2013 00:35
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SlicerDicer posted:Yes Sir, I spent 4 hours soldering stuff the other day 0_o Well, assuming you took it there to go diving, maybe it was your subliminal consciousness telling you should go back What were you soldering though? Sounds like something more complicated than regular dive gear.
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May 21, 2013 02:21
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SlicerDicer posted:Its a modified mark 15 rebreather, I tore out the factory horseshoe board and replaced it with one from Laguna Research, by doing this I have isolated sides and two independent computers for setting my setpoint. The oxygen sensors attach to this board and allow me to know what I am breathing so essentially its the heart of my breather and I was having issues with some old potting compound. Apparently some RTV silicones can actually cause issues with corrosion? At anyrate I got what I needed a MG Chemicals Connector Coating that is inert resists sunlight, alkaline/acidic environments, moisture, tearing etc. Essentially I have to be my own repair center and sometimes that means soldering my crap back together LOL So, I didn't understand anything you wrote, and had to look up a Wikipedia article about rebreathers. It was very interesting and sounds cool, if a bit dangerous. I gather you do this for tec diving?
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May 21, 2013 06:26
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Crunkjuice posted:I'm of the opinion that 4 inches of hose is not a life or death difference. In all my OOA experiences (probably around a dozen), not once have i thought "my god 4 inches of extra hose would have made a huge difference in my ability to give air and save this persons life". Its a 36 inch miflex hose, and it works just fine. Hell, the fact that its a miflex hose alone makes it easier to use than a standard hose for how flexible it is. You guys made me wiki GUE and DIR. Seems that the above quote about "strokes" is from a George M Irvine III. Now, I've only done just over 40 dives so I'm in no way experienced enough to have a sound opinion. But I'm old enough to say that someone who talks in such certainties and in such a way, and calls himself "the Third" to boot, is a right wanker.
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May 29, 2013 00:28
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Bishop posted:Still waiting to see if I get any pics of me (I should), but here is one from a dive I did last week. Me and my buddy found two Moray eels and a Nurse shark engaged in a "non-traditional" relationship. Photo taken around 130' under the Duane wreck. This is what happens when you let the gays marry! Eel on shark action. Is it just me, or might the eel be a necrophile? The shark looks dead. That's some powerful light you have there, my photos at that depth (with a pathetic little torch) are all heavily blue-green tinged. Great shot!
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May 29, 2013 23:49
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before things get too freaky.
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SlicerDicer posted:I dunno? Learn to breathe good? You will always have more gas than NDL. Does that work? Is breathing well something you can learn or does it just come from experience? Are there certain techniques or other things you can concentrate on to improve faster?
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Jul 11, 2013 23:43
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BlueBayou posted:Did my first cold water dive yesterday. In my (limited) personal experience, you get used to the pressure on the neck. The fact that in the water (when the neoprene gets a bit softer) you felt OK, probably means that if you stick with it it will get easier. I dive in Sydney and it's pretty cold (15 c) and at first the hooded vest made me feel like I'm going to die, but now I wouldn't want to dive without it.
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Jul 18, 2013 01:57
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What are the advantages of split fins then? Why do so many people use them?
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Aug 9, 2013 23:43
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Just bookmarked these videos Bishop, they're awesome. Thanks!
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Aug 13, 2013 01:33
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I dived the Apartments yesterday, off the northern beaches of Sydney. Was really good, lot of fish, and some PJs and wobbegongs. had a wobbe swim right under me, about 20cm away, scared the poo poo out of me when I noticed. The water's a bit cold right now, about 16 degrees. On the way back on the boat, we saw three humpback whales and a pod of dolphins. Four of them swam right under our boat, with their heads sticking just ahead so lying on the bow and looking right down you could see them just flitting under the water, occasionally ducking out to the side for a quick breath and ducking back in. I guess the liked the sensation of being in the pressure wave of the boat. Gotta say, I never really get excited about going out to dive in Sydney since it's cold, but every time I go out, I come back with a big smile.
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Sep 23, 2013 12:32
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In regards to equalising, I used to hold my nose and bang in the pressure to clear and had difficulty a few times. After speaking about it to some people, I changed to holding my nose and gradually increasing the pressure and I've never had issues since. I guess this is obvious to most in this thread, but hopefully can be useful to fellow newbs.
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Sep 23, 2013 22:58
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Le0 posted:So do you mean that instead of blowing hard once, do it gradually? This is helpful to me since I really need to find a better method I guess Yeah, exactly that, just gradually and gently increase the pressure until it clears or you feel it's too much, in which case stop and ascend a bit and try again. Practicing is easy, you can do it anywhere, you'll feel the pressure building even if there is no external pressure. There are probably other tips and techniques, but this is what I found consistently works for me. BTW, a nose bleed can mean something far less serious than ear damage. My wife gets a minor nose bleed occasionally and it's no big deal. Unimpressed fucked around with this message at 06:26 on Sep 26, 2013 |
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Sep 26, 2013 06:23
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Really? 6 pounds in a 5m wetsuit? I'm properly weighted (i.e. nose at water line, etc.) with 18lbs in my new 7mm suit. Was it a really old 5mm suit?
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Oct 10, 2013 09:47
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Crunkjuice posted:I can dive 6lb in a full 5mm in fresh water on an AL80 but i'm a skinny bastard. I usually end up floaty at the end too so now i just dive 8 lbs trimmed out and i'm fine. 4 for a full 3mm, nothing for neoprene shirt/dive shorts. My drysuit weight is 18 lbs i think? I'd have to check but it sounds right. I guess I'm fatter than I think  or does 7 vs 5mm make such a big difference?
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Oct 10, 2013 23:31
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I dived the outer GBR on a Mike Ball live-aboard from Cairns (an hour drive from PD). If you only go on day trips you won't go out as far and the better diving is in the outer reef. As for equipment, we used 3mm wetsuits and they're only about 80 bucks here so you might want to get one instead of using their equipment. Mike Ball was amazing, if expensive. They do a 4 day tour and you either get on at Cairns and are flown back from Lizard Island or flown to Lizard Island and get off at Cairns. They fly you at low level so you can see the reef in detail from the air and have no problems with flying after diving. The service there is amazing and the sites are great. You can dive guided or on your own. It's basically 4 days of diving 4-5 times a day and eating/bumming around in between. They prepare all your stuff for you so you just do a dive briefing, put on the gear, dive, come back up, drop your gear and go do something until your next dive. Absolute heaven if you like diving, I can't recommend it enough. I haven't been on other live-aboards, but I'm sure Mike Ball aren't the only ones. I'd highly recommend going on one if you can afford it.
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Oct 14, 2013 07:57
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xxEightxx posted:Do you think I need a dr note in addition to padi certification? Is a dr note from the US sufficient or should I plan to pop in somewhere in Australia? In my experience, unless you're going to tick yes to one of those "do you have X" questions, you don't need a DR's note.
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Oct 15, 2013 21:57
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Went on a dive on the weekend under Swansea bridge (in NSW). My wife had a rental BCD and about 30 minutes into the dive, one of the integrated weight pouches fell out of her BCD. I was about 3m away and as soon as I saw it slip out I went for it, thinking I'll put it back in and she'll be able to continue. Instead, she surfaced uncontrollably and I lost her. Fortunately it was only 6m deep and there was a DM behind us who made sure she was OK. We surfaced and saw she was on shore and fine and continued for another 15 minutes. But it's been eating at me that if this happened in 20 or 30 metres it could have ended quite badly. I should have gone for her instead and kept her down. Have any of you guys run into something similar? If so, what did you do?
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Nov 3, 2013 21:44
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Yeah, I know, it was a stupid decision and I'm beating myself up over it. I guess I'm lucky it was a lesson learned in relatively safe circumstances. Hopefully if it ever happens again, my instincts will be better.
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Nov 4, 2013 01:52
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Did my wreck diving and Nitrox cert over the weekend. We did the dives at the HMAS Adelaide off Terrigal, NSW. It was purpose-sunk for diving and has large holes cut into many places, so the wreck exploration isn't particularly dangerous. Still, it's quite unnerving to be inside a dark hold with only a hatch as the way out even if you know you're only about 10m away from an exit. It must be very scary doing a wreck that doesn't have those extra exits. Any Sydney area goon divers, you really need to go there if you haven't yet, it's got tons of sea life, including kingfish, cuttlefish, grey nurses and a whole lot more. I regret not taking my go pro, I was thinking I should concentrate on the course but I would have still had ample opportunity to use it in the dives that didn't involve a lot of reel work.
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Dec 3, 2013 01:27
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I love this quote from the article: Family members said Spivey and Sanchez had dived at Eagle Nest several times and respected the danger there. "The top thing on their minds was safety," said Holly King, Spivey's fiancee. "They never pushed it. Darrin loved his family and loved his kids and wouldn't risk anything." Yeah absolutely the top thing was safety. I wonder sometimes how humanity survived when so many of its members are absolute loving, lacking in any introspection idiots.
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Dec 27, 2013 06:10
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Cippalippus posted:Well, the housing is waterproof to 90 feet and that is pretty shallow. Isn't that like 27 meters? I've already been deeper than that and I started diving in March. Best light is in shallow water anyway and unless there's something deep (like a wreck) you're better off staying shallow and diving for longer.
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Jan 5, 2014 02:59
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True that, apart from the savings, you'll probably end up with some pics of yourself to boot.
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Jan 5, 2014 08:40
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Cippalippus posted:Where do you fix a camera when diving? On the head? I'd hate to have to hold it all the time. I just hold mine in my right (dominant) hand, with an optional torch in my left. Also have both secured by lanyard and flexible attachment to my BCD. I find that holding something in my hand has helped me reduce my non-necessary motion by a very large degree and has actually improved my control and air consumption.
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Jan 6, 2014 03:40
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Are you talking about the advanced open water? If so, it's very different to what you describe, at least in Australia. For my cert, everything was done in the course, and no previous training (apart from having an open water cert and doing the online theoretical training) was required. It was seriously easy and quite fun too. There's absolutely nothing to be intimidated of.
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Jan 11, 2014 22:44
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Just to put a bit more emphasis on this whole AOW is fun and easy thing. Firstly, if you did your OW, then AOW will be way easier. You're not dealing with a foreign environment, you're not really doing much responding to problems stuff, instead you're doing some buoyancy work like diving through hoops at different levels, navigation stuff which is super easy, deep diving, which is really just diving deep (i.e. no need to do anything other than just go deep). Beyond that you do two more proficiencies, like boat diving (diving off a boat, yeah that simple), or naturalist (just normal diving and then identifying sea life you saw during the dive. The AOW course is meant by PADI to be done almost immediately after your OW, that's why the PADI dive logbook you get with the OW is structured the way it is. Secondly, PADI courses aren't really about you having to prove you can do a skill to the instructor, where if you don't do it you fail. It's more about the instructor teaching you a skill, you doing it, and if it's not right, being shown how to correct it and doing it again. The only way people "fail" a course like this is if they have a problem completing it, like not being able to do all the dives for whatever reason (mental, physical). So yeah, like others have said here, talk to your LDS and then go do it. It opens up things for you in terms of sites you can dive, and if you do it while you're fairly new to diving, you gain a lot from the buoyancy proficiency. Have fun!
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Jan 12, 2014 04:54
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In case anyone's interested in Sydney diving, here's a short (3m) vid of my dive from the weekend. Check out the weedy sea dragon in the start, as far as I know, it can only be seen in Oz, so  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9RRVe7I34
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Jan 13, 2014 03:55
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My wife and I went to Cairns for a week about a year ago. We spent one day diving on a day trip, then a day out at the Daintree forest, then 4 days on a Mike Ball live-aboard. The day diving was OK. The sites weren't bleached but there were about 15 other divers and 10 or so snorkelers. The live-aboard diving, and whole experience really, was incredible. It started out with a low-level (500') flight to Lizard Island where we flew over the reef and saw sharks from the air. The boat itself was very stable, had great food and a great cabin. The diving was awesome (it was my first tropic destination though) and the service was top notch. You basically didn't have to do anything other than eat, rest, and dive up to five times a day (4 day, one night). The crew took care of all your stuff between dives, even filling your water bottle and preparing a new towel. There was a thorough dive briefing for each site, and you could dive on your own or with a guide. I would go there again in a second if I could. It would be worth getting your AOW if you don't have it, as some of the bommies are pretty deep and have other sea-life at 25m than at 10m so it's worthwhile being able to see both.
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Jan 14, 2014 02:54
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Emasculatrix posted:I went scuba diving with a guide at the great barrier reef and loved it, and so I'm considering taking the class to get certified when I go on my next vacation. The company I found on yelp (Maui Diving) charges different amounts based on the number of people in the class. Is it worth spending more to be in a class of 4 instead of 8? Depends on how skint you are really. 4 is better than 8 because you'll spend less time waiting for others to do their thing, have more attention from the instructor, and maybe even get to do some more advanced stuff (like buoyancy drills) if you're all pretty good and get through the drills quickly. Also, part of the OW course is just diving for fun, and any diving, course or not, is better in a group of 4 than in a group of 8, especially if everyone's new and can't control their buoyancy and positioning very well.
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Jan 23, 2014 12:15
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Cru Jones posted:Stopped by the aquarium at the zoo, trying out the new macro lens. Waiting for the ice to thaw and summer to arrive. Probably won't be so easy when I'm in the water with them. Although shooting through glass with their weird neon lighting was challenging too. Here're a couple of videos of them in Kurnell's The Steps site (South Sydney). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9RRVe7I34 (the beginning of the video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwPI-OPeADo (the end of the video)
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Mar 19, 2014 23:38
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eviljelly posted:I've only ever dived in areas where DMs and instructors were a dime a dozen. I'm not sure why you guys want to jump down my throat about this, I was just asking a question because it really baffled me. If you're saying you dive regularly with no DM, no instructor and no one else who is better qualified to rescue a diver than a 'mere' rescue diver, I accept that this is technically possible but I thought it would be exceedingly rare. Well, I dive with a dive shop that takes out dives for free every weekend. Every dive has a DM or two. Even so, if I know the dive site, I prefer to go with my buddy on our own than dive with the DM, and about half the people there are the same. So getting a rescue diver cert (which I don't have yet, but I'm a relatively new diver, only around 50 dives) can be useful even if there is no shortage of DMs. Not trying to jump down your throat, as you put it, but it seems to me to be one of the most important things you could learn and I definitely intend on doing it this year or next. I guess most people who replied don't see it as you seem to, i.e. something that someone in the group has to know, but rather as a more basic set of knowledge and skills that anyone serious about diving should have eventually. That's the way I see it. Also, on a tangent, if you always dive with a DM, you should definitely start diving some easy sites without one. You see the sites very differently when you're navigating and leading a dive. The whole dive experience is different (better).
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Mar 25, 2014 11:26
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Tomberforce posted:Hello chaps. Don't know about the dry suit, and this may be irrelevant to you. But, if you're looking for cheaper (and non specialty-course-requiring) drysuit alternatives, a semi dry 7mm will make a big difference, and you can get a really good hollis 7mm semi for around 600AUD. Also, another thing to try is a lavacore full body suit that you wear under the 7mm she has already. It's neutrally buoyant so you don't end up carrying even more weight and it is pretty good warming you up. Just thought I'd throw those in.
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Mar 30, 2014 08:57
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